


Hand of the beholder

by MotherMckinney21



Category: Alice in Wonderland (Movies - Burton)
Genre: Character Study, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, How Underland was created in my point of view., Hurt/Comfort, Past Castiel/Original Male Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-02-02 00:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12715758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotherMckinney21/pseuds/MotherMckinney21
Summary: It has been said that Time is no man's or indeed woman's friend, but what if that very saying applied also to Time himself? After the events of Alice through the looking glass, Time delves into his own past and discovers that time doesn't heal anything, it just teaches us how to live with the pain of the past.





	1. Only a matter of time

**Author's Note:**

  * For [obviouslyelementary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/gifts).



> Hey, peeps, I am MotherMcKinney21 and welcome to my Alice through the looking glass fan fiction. I have got a massive obsession with Time, it's so developed in fact that I have the pop figure and the Disney doll of him, so I thought that now it was Time to post this story idea I have had pestering me since watching the sequel to Alice in Wonderland!
> 
> I just wish to say that this story is inspired by, the story of Time by Obviouslyelementry, along with the story, Time and Alice by IheartOakenshield, so I thank you both for inspiring me to do this :D
> 
> I am open to constructive criticism, but rude reviews will not be tolerated under any circumstances!
> 
> So, to those who decide to read this chapter, happy reading!

"Sir?" The mini mechanical butler questioned as he wandered around the castle searching for Time, grateful though shocked to have not received a single demand to do something since the departure of the yellow-haired girl.

"Sir!" He tried again when not even a bellowed order to stop pestering him echoed across the castle, shuddering slightly at the terrifying, almost deafening silence that revolved around the atmosphere.

Managing to recollect himself into a reasonably nonchalant state Wilkins continued to search for his master, hoping when he did find him he wouldn't be subjected to yet another catapult of snappy sentences. Oh, how he hoped he was in a good mood. He can be quite frightening if you cross the line as he often did without the intention of doing so, which he rather suspected his master was well aware of.

After having searched most of the castle from top to bottom while frantically calling for his master, all he gained in response were the shallow echoes of his own voice rebounding back to him like a boomerang. Letting out a weary sigh, Wilkins fiddled with the collar of his tailcoat as he made his way over to the last place his master could possibly be.

Clumsily pushing his way through the door he could have sworn held some sort of intense dislike towards him, Wilkins practically found himself jumping for joy when catching the sight of the very man he'd spent ages running around the place like a crazed animal that had escaped from a zoo for. However, as he peered in closer in attempt to grab Time's attention, it was soon clear he should do the opposite when noticing that his master wasn't all there.

Slumped on his brown leather chair, Time wore a look of profound sadness with a mixture of fatigue engraved on his worn face as he vacantly stared off into the distance. With nothing but the sound of his gears and cogs at the back of his head clinking and exhaling puffs of steam filling out the oppressive silence, Wilkins decided to take a couple of steps closer towards his master to see if he could somehow try to figure out the reason behind Times odd behavior. Then from the very corner of his eye, a hint of gold showed itself from within his master's closed gloved palm, though it still didn't give him a straightforward answer as to why his master seemed strangely withdrawn.

Cowering away slightly, Wilkins glanced between Time and the floor as he became entwined with a group of thoughts that trundled through his brain like a busy train.

Could he have done something to anger his master to such an extent that he was giving him the silent treatment? Somehow that didn't make sense to him, besides it didn't explain the presence of a golden object in his hand.

Maybe it was something to do with that ear- piercingly shrieky and rather nerve-wracking Red queen his master had some weird affection for? Yes, she was a reasonably valid reason why Time would become like this, however, it still didn't seem quite right. If he recalled correctly her signature color was red, not gold.

Which only left him with one possible explanation.

The yellow-haired girl, Alice he believed her name was. But surely not. As far as he knew his master couldn't stand the girl, not after she stole the chronosphere and nearly caused underland to perish due to her foolish actions.

The butler was instantaneously snapped out of his thoughts when his foot suddenly collided with the table where a whole chess set was carefully placed in their correct positions, causing many of the pieces to go flying through the air while the table smacked onto the floor which made Time jump out of his skin as a result of the unexpected incident.

At first, Wilkins proceeded to shrink himself down to the smallest size he could as he awaited a bollocking from his master for causing such a disgraceful interruption, but as the same silence that had haunted the room like a ghost made a comeback, Wilkins soon realized that no form of scolding was to occur. Instead, all that happened was Time shifted deeper into the chair, grunting out an inaudible phrase as he traced a finger around the object that was previously concealed within his hand, now revealing itself to be a pocket watch.

So what was this phrase his master had randomly muttered out? Could it have been Kidnergaurd? Or Kindergarden? No, it sounded more like kindergartner. Hang on, Kindergartner!

Ah, so this was about the yellow-haired girl. He vividly remembered his master using that particular phrase when he had been ordered to show her out, after her absurd request to borrow the chronosphere.

Then just as Wilkins was to bravely attempt to get his master attention for the second time, Time himself snapped his round to the butler, as if only just having noticed his presence. Letting out a world heavy groan, Time shifted his position so that he sat upright on the chair before giving Wilkins a look of desolation.

"Times not a thief, it gives before it takes. Time is a gift, every minute. Every second…" Wilkins watched his master trail off from his sentence as he turned back to where he had been facing before, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and raspy as if he'd been crying.

All Wilkins could do now was helplessly watch his master descend into his own pit of thoughts, each and every one of them pushing him into a deeper state of unexplained despair.

* * *

 

_"You're it!" A little girl with blonde pigtails declared, gently patting the shoulder of a boy who appeared to be a year or so younger than her. Their squeals of delight creating cheerful vibes within the atmosphere of the small town they lived in, as they gleefully chased each other around the communal garden glistening with various shades of green, yellow and red._

_"Hey!" Replied the little boy, his cinnamon brown eyes twinkling with joy as a wide grin spread across his lips, revealing his pearly white teeth. Dashing off to catch up with the girl as fast as his toddler legs could carry him, he was mere inches from being able to reach towards her elbow when an interruption occurred._

_"Gustav!" Came an announcing call from a middle-aged woman approaching the little boy, who within an instant of seeing her came running over in between fits of giggles._

_The woman who stood patiently waiting for her son had short jet black hair that went just past her ears, was styled into a finger wave hairdo. To accompany her traditional hairstyle she looked to be a lady of age, eyes the color of an indigo ocean that without a doubt would charm any man. She possessed a petite body figure that clung to her gracefully fitted cream-colored bertha neckline dress, her lips tinted with cherry red lipstick which complemented her delicate complexion, complete with a light peck of pink blusher brightening her dimpled cheeks._

_Smiling when noticing her son was only a few steps away from being in her arms, she was about to offer her hand as a gesture to go home until a rather scruffy dog suddenly rushed out in front of him. Then within a matter of seconds, the two said beings paths collided, knocking Gustav off his feet which resulted in him hitting the ground with_ a _particularly nasty thud._

_"My baby!" The woman cried, scowling at the dog just as Gustav began to cry. His piercing wails of terror reverberating throughout the entire town, attracting those walking by within the distance decided to stop dead in their tracks to investigate the incident._

_The overwhelming amount of attention Gustav received mostly consisting of the fearfully asked question if he was ok only succeeded in making him cry harder, his mother was then quick to intervene by shooing away a few people from her son as she attempted to lift him up from his shock stricken position and cradle him into her arms._

_However, just when the incident was thought to be over and done with, the small crowd of people who had gathered round all with their individual concerns for Gustav suddenly began to drift away, when a strangled howl from the dog caught everyone's attention. And as soon as everyone including Gustav's mother turned around to witness the cause of the dogs high pitched whining, it wasn't long before many gasps of horror followed by frantically murmured queries about the dog did some of the crowd send Gustav dirty looks._

_"What's happening to the dog?"_

_"It was when the little boy touched it, blue sparks flew out from his hand!"_

_"What has that kid done?"_

_"I've never seen anything like it!"_

_The dog's heavily pained yelps of terror only became louder as a strange rusty brown metallic formation traveled up the dog's body, refusing to show the poor animal even a smidgen of mercy as it remorselessly swallowed up every inch of merriment the dog had been freely enjoying moments ago._

_Stunned at the sickening process of the dog's downfall, Gustav's mother shared fearful glances between her son and the crowd of people who gave her just as equally disturbed looks as if she was some sort of criminal. Slowly turning to face her surroundings she noticed a few had stepped forward to try to reverse whatever evil had been cast upon the dog, while others had their nauseated facial expressions pressed into their handkerchiefs to prevent themselves from gagging in public. Gustav's mother came close to turning away in repulsion herself when a couple of ladies towards the back of the crowd fainted due to the intense impact the abnormal occurrence caused._

_Meanwhile, all this was too much for Gustav's three-year-old mind to process. One minute a flood of people were racing towards him, with their minds set on leading him to safety, then the next they were disgusted by his very existence. He failed to understand what had fueled their sudden vow of hatred towards him. What was it he had done so wrong for him to deserve such an extreme notion of immortality from so many people?_

_Even his own mother wore a look of shame as she downcast her sunken facial expression right onto his own sorrowful one, creating a rather unpleasant churning sensation inside his stomach as she made no move to ease the rush of fear stimulating cold vibes down his entire body._

_Then as Gustav decided to use whatever strength his currently muddy feeble legs could assemble to get him back up on his feet, he felt a firm grip seizing his left arm that hurriedly whisked him away to push their way through the overbearing rabble swarming over them, like a group of bees fighting for the last bit of nectar from the flower._

_Their ghastly cries and sharp yells of being sorcerers hurled towards him and his mother as they fled the fury-filled villagers reverberated in the little boy's ears, a mixture of confusion and guilt eating at the joy a child his age should have the right to embrace. Even when the crowds vicious hollering behind them began to fade into the distance, the three-year-old was unable to contain his fear of it all just being the very beginning of an immensely woeful journey._

_"Rufus!" his mother yelled as soon as they had barged through the door to their stately home, projecting her words to make sure she caught her husband's full attention._

_"Yes Evonna, my sweetness?" Rufus soothed as he approached the two with a small smile._

_"Don't you dare sweetness me, we have a problem on our hands!" Evonna shouted out through gritted teeth._

_"What's the problem, my dear?" Rufus began kindly, only to be forcefully cut off mid-sentence by his wife's sharp interruption._

_"It- it's Gustav, he-he's not well."_

_"He looks perfectly chipper to me," Rufus stated as he took a glance at Gustav then reverting his gaze back to Evonna._

_"Yes, of course, he looks fine on the outside, but what I mean is there's a foul demon at work that sits withinside him."_

_Rufus chuckled lightheartedly at what he assumed was his wife overacting ever so slightly to Gustav's muddy appearance. "My dear you cannot stop boys from being boys no matter their age-"_

_"This isn't a laughing matter Rufus!" Evonna scolded, causing Gustav to whimper in fright. "He has evil magic, pure evil I tell you!"_

_"Magic you say?" Rufus questioned, his wife rolling her eyes with irritation at how long it had taken him to finally realize what was going on._

_"Yes, magic. Given to him by the immoral omens we spend every living day to avoid their presence in our lives, now here they are casting their corrupting spells upon our family name!"_

_For a moment no words were spoken from either parent. Looking up at his parents to see his mother glaring at the wall as she shook with unmistakable anger, while his father seemed to be lost deep in thought sent a chilling shiver shooting down Gustav's spine. Unsure of which was worse, his mother's daunting period of silence or his father's lack of his heartwarming trademark smile that could drive away anyone's sadness within a matter of seconds._

_A surge of movement caught everyone's attention when Rufus abruptly snapped out of his trance and made his way over to the dining table, Gustav and Evonna both watching him with uncertainty as to what he wished to accomplish when they had more major issues to focus on._

_Grabbing a candle off from the middle of the dining table Rufus silently made his way over to Gustav, whose eyes dilated as he backed himself up against the wall as if it would grant his wish to disappear into thin air._

_"Rufus, don't be a fool!" Evonna snapped, having already caught on to what he was about to do._

_Ignoring Evonna's comment Rufus carried on walking towards his son until he was right up close. Then to ensure that Gustav wouldn't become distressed by his sudden unexplained approach he knelt down to the three-year-old's level, giving him one to one eye contact._

_"Show me, my boy," Rufus encouraged softly, carefully lifting up the candle until it was within Gustavs reach. At first, the timid boy made no move to do what was asked of him, however, once his father's gesture to reassure him that it was ok to reveal his powers shone through his mellow brown eyes, Gustav slowly and shakily reached out to take the candle from his father hands and into his own._

_Carefully cupping the candle within the palms of his hands both parents watched with bated breath as electric blue sparks flew from his fingertips, which then went onto surrounding the candle just seconds before the same rusty brown metal engulfed the object until it was nothing more than a metal version of itself._

_"Remarkable!" Rufus breathed out in awe as he stood up from his previous position, studying the way Gustav's strange, but as equally fascinating ability to transform any object into metal filled his eyes with the sparks of wonder that splashed across his facial features._

_"No."_

_Both Rufus and Gustav instantly turned to face a horrified Evonna who gaped at her son in disgust while shaking her head frantically._

_"No this cannot be, tell me it isn't true. Please let this be nothing more than a mere trick of the eye!"_

_"It is very much true my darling, it's a blessing sent from God himself," Rufus said, convinced by his confidently spoken words._

_"I-it's sorcery!" Evonna suddenly wailed, her eyes as wide as saucers as she struggled to absorb everything that had happened in a rational manner._

_"It isn't sorcery-" The curly haired man tried in desperate need to calm his frenzy ingested wife down, despite his best efforts all went to no avail._

_"Witchcraft! Die zauberei!" Evonna continued, her German accent increasingly stronger the more wound up she became._

_"Evonna."_

_"Oh heavens, what have I done to deserve such a punishment?!"_

_"Evonna..."_

_"Dear Lord, I pray to you, what is it I have done to anger you in such a drastic way! Is this monstrosity an act of revenge for any sins I may have unknowingly committed? Please, tell me the reasoning behind this curse that shall haunt this family for all eternity!"_

_Both Gustav and his father did a double take as they silently watched Evonna drop to her knees, completely oblivious to the increasingly worrying stares they gave her._

_"Is this curse upon myself a reflection of how you see me in your eyes? What can I do for you to earn your forgiveness my Lord? I will do anything to reverse my wrongdoings, anything you ask of me I shall obey without hesitation or question. Please if you are listening, please take pity on me, I beg of you, I-"_

_"Evonna!" Rufus finally resorted to yelling, wincing when his wife jumped into an upright position due to his unexpected interruption._

_"You are very much wrong my beloved," he began as an effort to justify his latest actions._

_"This is no curse, it is a gift. This is a message from God himself, he asks us to have faith in ourselves, in the business, but most importantly of all, this is his way of telling us that we shall be successful in these hard times!" The way his father possessed the ability to gain a positive outlook on the situation created a small, but a definite feeling of ease within Gustav's heart._

_However, that feeling soon vanished as quickly as it had come on when a sour look from Evonna divided between Gustav and Rufus put an end to their moment of peace._

_"You won't be thinking anything of the sort when were forced to flee the city because of his unjustified actions!" Evonna warned in a such a dark tone that even Rufus couldn't hide the hint of fear that escaped onto his facial expression._

_"Well, all we can do is hope that it doesn't come to such drastic measures," Rufus gently suggested, having no desire to carry on with the current conversation for the sake of his son._

_"Pfui." And with that Evonna waved an irate dismissive hand towards the two boys moments before storming off into the next room, mumbling various German phrases to herself as the door slammed firmly shut behind her._

_"Don't worry my boy," Rufus soothed when noticing a few unshed tears rapidly gathering up inside Gustav's eyelids, "your mother's just letting off steam, she will come around."_

_Gently wiping away a stray tear that managed to trickle its way down his son's cheek Rufus suddenly jumped up with excitement, a warm glow of happiness spreading across his lips as Gustav watches him with apprehension._

_"Right son, let me show you something to take your mind off things," Rufus declared and despite his son's evident traces of dread radiating from his facial features he obediently followed without hesitation._

_Walking across the labyrinth of a corridor that was dimly lit by a few candles perched on brown wooden stands situated on various places against the wall, then in a matter of seconds, Rufus came to a halt in front of a large dulled with age rusty door._

_"On the other side of this door is something that will blow your mind," Rufus_ whispered, _his major enthusiasm displayed in a calm and collective manner as he carefully unlocked the door before pushing it open to reveal his pride and joy._

_"Behold, the one and only place where the very heart of all time lies my boy!" Rufus announced, his deep bellowing voice bouncing off the walls as their footsteps echoed across the greyish tiled flooring._

_Lifting his head up to catch a glimpse of what had gotten his father so wrapped up in exhilaration, Gustav's soft brown eyes swiftly widened as the giddy feeling of excitement tingled it's way across his facial features and all the way down his spine once he feasted his eyes on what stood before him._

_Clocks, and loads of them. Each and every one of them gloriously displayed whether they were placed on the many shelves surrounding the area, pinned up on the wall or neatly positioned on top of the wooden desk located near the only window the room provided. Slowly turning his head to contemplate the fascinating sights of how each clock was different despite being used for the same purpose, his mind suddenly becoming focused on the two different sized arrows pointing at one number from each side of the clock's face steadily moving, as the seconds which then turned into minutes ticked by. The soft, almost hypnotizing ticks and tocks coming from the at least seventy clocks rhythmically generated a melancholic melody which created peaceful vibes not just within the room, but in Gustav himself._

_"What are your thoughts about this my boy. It's a sight and a half isn't it?" Rufus asked, the twinkle in the very core of his slightly faded brown eyes passing straight onto Gustavs, as he eagerly nodded his agreement to his father's latest statement._

_Rufus was unable to contain his humorous chuckle that burst out from his mouth at his son's shared ardor of clocks. Ruffling Gustav's hair as he shot him a wide grin, Rufus then gestured for Gustav to follow him as he led him over to his desk, wherein particular a lantern shaped clock stood right in the center of many other clocks as if they were peasants surrounding an upper-class person._

_"Let me introduce you to some of my classics," Rufus began, the enthusiasm having stuck around since their arrival. "This little beauty here is called a bracket clock, one that possesses a fine quality of care in the making and a divine addition to any ones home."_

_Moving away from the desk, Rufus jerked his head upwards to where a clock that resembled the house they lived in, but with detailed decorations engraved on the outside was held up by a plank of wood against the wall. Then as if by magic Gustav felt himself being lifted high up into the air by his father until he was face to face with the funny looking clock._

_"Now this little gem is called a cuckoo clock." Gustav was about to question the reason behind its given name when his father hushed him. "Just watch and wait."_

_Doing as he was told, Gustav silently waited for whatever it was his father said would happen. Just a few seconds later a silver-colored bird leaped out from inside the tiny double doors at the very top of the clock, showing no signs of stopping until its beak pecked him right on the nose, a loud cuckoo sound following soon after its appearance. The three-year-old giggled with delight at the clocks unusual quirk, immediately afterward his father joined in on the laughter._

_"Cuckoo!" Rufus repeated in a sing-song voice as he gently lowered his son back onto the floor, making sure he landed safely on his two feet. Though he needn't have bothered when something so unexpected came into contact with Gustav that he ended up falling on his behind._

_"Erstaunen," Gustav breathed out in awe as he absorbed the sight of the sublimely fancy looking clock that towered so far over the little boy, some would think he would run away in fear of it collapsing on top of him. However, he felt no fear towards the object, instead, he found its tall physique quite comforting as if it had the ability to pick him up and embrace him in a warm, protective hug against all evil. Gustav's didn't even do as much as falter when the clocks booming chime echoed throughout the whole room, almost as if the hands of the clock had lured him into a vortex which he would never return from._

_Throughout the entire time Gustav had spent gaping at the grandfather clock, Rufus unlike the other times kept silent, already having sensed his son had made a connection with one of the clocks._

_"Ah, I was hoping you would get to encounter my truest favorite of them all," Rufus informed, startling Gustav from his thoughts. "Let me have the pleasure of introducing you to the grandfather clock, the one that powers the very heart of all time!"_

_All Gustav could do was give him a small nod in response as he continued to be mesmerized by everything from the structure of the clock, to the caring vibes it gave off_ only _present within the three-year-old's mind._

_Before Gustav could even begin to explain his profound feelings towards the clock, a sudden surge of sadness hit him like a runaway train. Never until this very moment had he realized that despite wanting to stay in this room which to him felt like paradise, sooner or later he would have to drag himself away and let the seconds, minutes and eventually hours tick by while he got on with living his life under the confined feelings of misery and trepidation he sensed were to come._

_Although he didn't fully understand the deep wave of sorrow he was currently experiencing, the one thing he was confident in knowing was that in this present day he could say that time wouldn't be against him, at least not today._

_Though, it was only a matter **of** time before it would._


	2. Gloved concerns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back with a new chapter!
> 
> (Finally.)
> 
> Sorry for taking so long, it's just there was gonna be more to this chapter, but since it would be far too long altogether it's being split up into two, so there will be four chapter in total for this story, instead of just three like it was going to be.
> 
> Anyway, thank you to those who have sent me kudos, they all mean a lot to me :)

_"Mama warum?" The now six-year-old Gustav complained, shifting away from the gloves his mother was attempting to pull on over his hands._

_"You know why!" His mother yelled in response, her deep blue eyes flashing with fury at Gustavs refusal to do as he was told._

_"But I didn't do anything wrong!" Gustav protested. "All I was doing was helping an elderly woman who kept smashing all her plates because of her shaky hands."_

_"And by doing that you willingly exposed yourself into the out and open!"_

_"I only turned the remaining plates she had left into metal so that she wouldn't have to worry about dropping them anymore, I don't see what is so bad about helping others!"_

_"Not so bad? Not so bad! For heaven sake Gustav, you have put this entire family in mortal danger, again!"_

_"Danger? What danger? She promised she wouldn't say anything of my secret, and I trust her to stay true to her word."_

_Evonna scoffed in utter disgust. "Only a fool would believe such nonsense. You cannot trust anyone with that kind of immoral secret. For all we know she could be spreading it across the entire town as we speak, then we would be labeled sorcerers and forced to flee for the second time in just over three years!"_

_"You were the one who demanded that we left the village, mama," Gustav stated. The remainder of the single-handedly made decision she made only sending his mother into a deeper state of anger._

_"Enough of your impudence Gustav! You will wear the gloves as I tell you too, without any further act of defiance!" Evonna commanded as she yanked the gloves onto her son's hands, unaware of Gustav's pain filled wince at the force of his mother's touch._

_"Mama, bitte," Gustav begged. "I won't do anything to go against you ever again, please don't make me wear the gloves, I'll learn to control my powers, I promise!"_

_"Your apologies and promises are nothing more than meaningless squeals of spurious sorrow!" Evonna yelled in retaliation, uncaring at how the rapid feeling of fear continued to rise up within her son._

_However, just as Gustav had managed to regain what little confidence he had left to speak up for himself, a sudden surge of panic jolted through his entire body when hearing his mother let out a dangerously worrying huff of intense irritation._

_"Gustav," she began with a dark edge to her voice. "If, from this day on you go back on your word now, or ever, the consequences will be dire!"_

_"Consequences?" Gustav blurted out before he could get his brain and mouth to cooperate and agree on not doing anything stupid._

_Having heard his questioning of the dire consequences, Evonna visibly shook with rage as she approached him with a fierce scowl that made him tremble on the spot his feet were stood on._

_"You really wish to know the severity of the consequences? Fine! I was going to keep quiet about it, but now you've made it quite obviously clear that my warnings mean nichts to you, you shall be pleased to know that if you fail to meet my demand that you under no circumstances reveal your metal curse, I will have to resort to amputation!"_

_Gustav gasped in horror at his mother's terrifying revelation, while clutching his hands as if to somehow protect them from Evonne's harsh words._

_"That's a bit drastic isn't it?" Rufus intervened, hoping his_ wife would drop the slightly disturbing subject. However, just by getting a glimpse of his wife's deadly silent reaction he could tell by her body language that she was not to be reasoned with. And those flickering azure orbs confirmed his thoughts.

_Meanwhile, all Gustav could do was let out a weary sigh at how much his mother had changed over the course of three years. He should be the apple of his mother's eye, the one she loves and cherishes with all her heart, no matter the circumstances. They should share a bond like no other, one where they embrace the good and remorselessly crush down all the bad that stands in its path._

_Instead, the only thing he seemed to be in her eyes was an immorally cursed pest brought to them by the devil himself. The previous love and_ cherishment _that was so easily given and much needed was now replaced by deep abhorrence of Gustav's nature that haunted her like a hungry hawk._

_Looking closely at his mother, Gustav had never really explored on just how much of a toll the past three years had taken on her, until now._

_Her eyes that used to resemble the soft colors of the indigo ocean now worn with world heavy bags underneath them, transforming them into the staring type, as if they were to jump out of their sockets at any given moment. The delicately designed facial features she was previously blessed with now just a ghostly pale shade of skin, her gentle slim figure that hid any traces of bone having reconstructed itself into a paper-thin version, where her bones displayed themselves freely upon her scrawny limbs. However, the most noticeable change of all was her personality._

_The lethal mixture of anger, fear, and disgust creating the hate that colored her soul, viscously spread itself throughout her entire system that pitilessly shutting down all other feelings and becoming the center of her life. Within the duration of the past three years, Gustav had come to realize just how much hate can come to completely poison the mind of a person, leaving little to no room for love, a foreign word which no longer portrayed any meaning. With nothing but the wave of ill thoughts wildly racing through his mother's mind, Gustav struggled to picture her ever making a full recovery from what fiendish thoughts had possessed her, leaving him with no faith of ever having a stable relationship with his mother._

* * *

 

The robot butler felt a jolt of terror rise within him when noticing his master had stopped his incoherent mumbling, only for it to be replaced by another bout of odd behavior which consisted of him silently rubbing his right gloved hand with the other.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Wilkins muttered nervously to himself, putting his metal finger up to the roof of his mouth as if to somehow calm himself down by becoming a fretful nail-biter.

Well, if he did have nails to bite, he was positive he'd have bitten right down to the knuckles of his hands due to the straining impact all this was having on the poor, already overworked butler.

Alas, since his hands were metal and the fact he didn't possess any kind of nails whatsoever made it physically impossible for him to do such a thing. But if there was one thing he could do for certain, that was place the blame for this monstrosity of a mess on a certain chronosphere snatching interloper.

Oh my, what had this yellow-haired girl done?

* * *

 

_After having concluded that the whole glove business was non- negotiable Gustav reluctantly wore the gloves for the sake of his parents, even if things weren't to change between himself and his mother._

_The actual experience of having to wear the gloves wasn't exactly an easy transition to go through. For starters washing his hands after using the men's room tended to be a struggle, handwriting, particularly when it came to doing homework was another challenge, along with the frequent stares and the many villagers often questioning him of his full-time use of the hand objects._

_By the time he was eight years old wearing the gloves had become just another part of his daily routine, almost as if it were a normal thing to do._

_He'd only had one incident during a blazing hot summers day where his entire body including his hands were caked in a pool of sweat, which eventually got to the point of being so unbearable that Gustav, without thinking it through whipped out a hand from one of his gloves and wiped it onto the grass to remove the clammy feeling that sweat happily provided._

_Then moments after the consequences of his rather thoughtless actions kicked into gear, Gustav had made a quick getaway following the realization of what his little mishap could lead too if he were to be found out. Luckily no such accusation was ever made against him, well at least, not for that._

* * *

 

Wilkins fell victim to another rush of panic when suddenly the group of seconds carelessly barged through the door, their seemingly discordant ticks booming across the atmosphere of the room, driving the butler's more than rattled nerves into a manic frenzy.

"No, no, stop it, get back, stop it!" Wilkins tried to command the seconds in a hiss of authority, only for his attempts to gain some sort of control over the gang of hooligans to go ignored as they whizzed off to crowd around their master. Once their minds were set on something, there was no stopping them.

Exhaling a world heavy groan Wilkins hid his head in his hands, unable to bear witnessing what mayhem the seconds were bound to cause. Though after having taken a few moments to gather what remained of his sanity, Wilkins forced himself to slowly look up at the gang, only to find the smallest one pecking Time's lap with its long snout-like nose in attempt to snap him out of his trance, while the others stood still as if they were in observation mode.

Letting out another shaky sigh, Wilkins could only stand and stare at the seconds as they continued to do everything their tiny brains could think of to ensure Time himself wouldn't stop as a result of this unusually frightening experience.

Though whether it was just out of habit or not, the mechanical butler's mind was set on the fact that whatever they were thinking of in order to help their master, it would all go to no avail.

* * *

 

_Despite having spent every day trying his very hardest to stay out of trouble and get back into his mother's good books, even after years of disapproval of pretty much everything he did ever since the dreaded day, unfortunately it all went to no avail as nothing he did seemed to replace the haggard stern frown with a beaming smile of contentment._

_Until one day it did._

_Just not by Gustav._

_He had just come home after a particularly stressful day at school, with his thoughts solely on shutting himself in his bedroom and not coming back out, only for them to vanish as soon as he walked through the door to find his mother in the company of a tall lanky man sat beside her. Once Gustav had made his appearance in front of them they both turned around to face him._

_"This is the boy I have been informing you about," Evonna dryly stated to the man, glaring daggers_ into _her son's eyes as she spoke._

_"Ah!" The man exclaimed, standing up to reveal his truly terrifying figure just before kneeling down slightly to address him._

_"Norman, Skinner," the man offered as an introduction, sending chilling vibes down Gustav's spine. Even his name had a creepy edge to it._

_"Greet him!" Evonna hissed through gritted teeth when Gustav made no attempt to respond to Norman's greeting._

_Struggling to recollect himself to his mother's standards Gustav could only manage to squeak out his name in a barely audible voice, his eyes directed to the floor, earning a disapproving scowl from his mother. Despite the number of years he'd been receiving them, it still hurt to this very day._

_Looking up at Mr. Skinner he immediately noticed his abnormally large hazel eyes staring fondly back at him_ , _as if his pupils were to jump out and grab him. To accompany them he possessed a long crooked nose and chapped lips revealing perfectly in line yellow tinted teeth. The jet black cloak Norman wore that flowed all the way down to his feet swiped against Gustav's leg as he walked, along with his top hat covering most of his head displaying hints of greying hair poking out from underneath._

_"Perhaps this young man would be interested to know the purpose of my visit?" Norman suddenly asked, his deep booming voice snapping Gustav out of his trance of fear as he made his way over to a little table, sipping his tea with pleasure._

_"Certainly," Evonna replied, eagerly waiting for Norman to carry on._

_Expecting him to resume his speech, Gustav was more than surprised when he felt a card of some sort tossed towards him. Warily picking it up Gustav began to read the writing on the card, only for his eyes to widen to the size of saucers when realizing what or rather who Norman was._

**Norman Matthew Skinner**

**Amputation and limbs surgeon.**

_"You're a surgeon?" Gustav shakily asked, his hands trembling as he held the offending card._

_"Correct my boy!" Norman applauded, his use of the phrase my boy angering Gustav slightly, only his father calls him that._

_"Only the best in the entire country," Evonna added, making the situation that bit more alarming._

_"Warum danke my lady," Norman thanked. The grin on his face in response to the compliment from his mother full of civic pride, it was there like a barely contained wheeeee, as if he was an escaped lunatic from a mental hospital._

_If he was honest with himself, he wouldn't have expressed as much as a doubt if someone was to tell him what his train of thought highly suspected._

_"So Gustav," Evonna began, her voice firm with dead seriousness. "This lovely gentleman here and I will be discussing certain things to do with your-"_

_"What about father?" Gustav sharply interrupted, uncaring of the repercussions most certainly to come. "Shouldn't he be involved in your discussion about me?"_

_"It is none of his concern!" Evonna spat, her left eye twitching with fury at her son's impudent interruption._

_Gustav looked down in shame, his bout of defense already having evaporated from within him._

_"You can rest assured dear boy that your mother and I are capable of handling your best interests without your father's input," Mr. Skinner inspirited, his eyes sparkling with joy that made the eight-year-old violently shiver on the spot._

_He'd hate to think what his best interests for him were._

_Unfortunately for Gustav, he feared he already knew._

* * *

 

Wilkins, along with the seconds now by his side could only shake and whining with intense fear, as their master continued to show no signs of returning back to reality.

By now, the poor butler was at a loss for what to do. He had tried everything his mechanical brain could possibly think of, and to put it bluntly, nothing worked.

However, it was on the spur of the moment when his master began to clutch his left hand with the other, while softly whimpering to himself was when the obvious suddenly hit him with full force.

If he couldn't work out how to stop his masters scary, much out of character behavior, maybe it was time he tried to find out the reasoning behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry Time is OOC but it is necessary for the majority of this story, don't worry he will go back to his usual self later.


	3. Clogs and clutters create disasters

_Most nights he finds himself in the same position, trapped within the clutches of the gloomy surgery room. Scanning around his surroundings, Gustav's rapid breathing begins to worsen as rough strips of leather coil around him, tightly strapping him to the operating table. Hopelessly helpless to himself as every time he tries to wriggle to freedom from the straps already suffocating him became tighter with every move._

_A surge of panic rises within Gustav's soul when a sudden icy cold hand grips onto his, making him leap out of his skin when the horribly familiar face just mere inches away from his own comes into contact with him._

_"Don't worry my dear boy," the voice of Norman Skinner cackles with glee, thrusting out a bow framed amputation saw which he holds with pride just before slamming it onto Gustav's right arm, ready to do the morbid business._

_"It won't hurt me a bit..."_

_His screams fill the atmosphere as he jolts from his sleeping position, his cheeks pink, wet and his body bathed in a cold sweat. The sheets rumpled and twisted around his limbs due to his frantic movements, his heart pounding heavily against his chest as he trembles in horror._

_There was only one thing he could do._

_Dashing out of bed while clumsily feeling for the door within his entirely dark room, Gustav raced down the steps, along the corridor to the very room he admittedly spent most of his time in._

_Bursting through the door, Gustav quickly slammed it shut and carefully lit a candle so he could gawp at the breathtaking sights. Then within an instant, the sounds of various ticks and tocks eliminated the remnants of his nightmare that clung to his mind, taking a deep breath of relief Gustav finally felt himself beginning to calm down._

_After sitting on the very spot he practically collapsed onto, Gustav looked up to see the grandfather clock supposedly looking straight back at him, as if the hands were eyes currently studying him._

_Getting back up on his feet with a slight wobble Gustav made his way towards the grandfather clock and wrapped himself around it, sighing sadly as he let teardrops slide from his eyes and onto the clocks wooden stand._

_As he continued to hug the clock a sense of comfort radiated a warm feeling within him, a feeling that nothing else could even remotely come close too, except of course his father._

_Speaking of him, it wasn't too long after Gustav began hugging the clock that his father entered the room, his face a mixture of drowsiness and sympathy. Rufus didn't bother questioning Gustav on why he was in here, instead, he came and stood beside him, putting an arm around him and giving his shoulder a soft squeeze as if to say he understood._

_He vividly remembers peacefully falling back to sleep with his father while leaning against the grand clock that night._

* * *

 

Studying the way his master continuously rubbed the same part of his hand, Wilkins peered in closer towards Time's haunted facial expression, as if he were attempting to read his mind, taking mental notes on what little he was able to discover in the process.

Alas, nothing was as easy as one would like to imagine it to be, Wilkins of all beings knew that.

But just as the robot butler was about to give his mission to figure out what was the matter with his master another go, when he abruptly found himself being involved in an unexpected stare down with Time.

"Sir?" Wilkins whimpered out when his master showed no signs of diverting his hair-raising gaze elsewhere.

For a moment, Wilkins had considered just making a run for it while he still could. However, when he noticed a hint of intense sorrow radiating from within the core of his masters suddenly bleary blue eyes, that was all it took to instantly put a stop to those thoughts.

Besides, all he had done in the past was run away when situations turned for the worse, but not this time. No! He was going to stay until the very end.

His master depended on him!

* * *

 

It _had been just another average day of school, avoiding the surgeon's disturbing gaze from outside the tall arch-shaped window he frequently stood by, with a menacing grin plastered on his face as he imitates a sawing motion contentedly. This as well as tellings off from his mother about keeping up the appearance of a normal child and concealing his powers away from the public domain._

_But today, something had felt different. Not in an odd or uncomfortable way, no it was more of a peculiar feeling, one to this day he'd never felt before. It was straight after yet another ear-bashing from his mother when this feeling made itself known._

_Huffing to himself as he is once again sent to his room, Gustav sighed sadly as he gingerly sat down on his bed, his facial features the portrait of shame._

_"Why can't I ever be good enough for you mama?" Gustav wondered out loud, his throat closing up and his eyes welling up with moisture, yet no tears fell._

_He didn't want to cry. All he had done for the past three or so years was cry, and especially now he's getting older, new coping mechanisms were required in order for him to deal with his life problems._

_Gustav had always been a keen creator, whether it was in the form of drawing or building makeshift toys out of old bits of metal and wood. He wasn't entirely sure if it was due to his father's influence or if it was just a part of him. But what he did know for sure was when he drew or constructed something he had drawn, the alleviating feeling of solace that fired his very soul, was the moment he could escape the suffocating clutches of reality, even if it was only for a short while._

_Today was no different, except that it was._

_As soon as he grabbed for the paper and pencil displayed on the very_ centre _of his self-built desk, anyone would think his hand had possessed some kind of life of its own as in a matter of minutes, simple lines of the mere beginnings of a complex drawing formed into a fully complete sketch, consisting of many shapes and angles illustrated to precise detail._

_Once the drawing was finished, Gustav gently hummed to himself with satisfaction as he took a few moments to carefully analyze his sketch._

_Sinking deeper into his labyrinth of thoughts, as the time he spends gazing at his artwork quickly goes from seconds to minutes, Gustav let out a sigh of relief as he felt those previous feelings of misery evaporating into thin air._

_In fact, Gustav was so immersed in thought that when his bedroom door suddenly burst open, his entire body jolted with terror, as the image of his mother barging into his room with yet another catapult of hurtful words hurled towards him, sending Gustav into a fit of intense fear._

_"Gustav, my son, it's just me," Rufus reassured as he hurriedly entered the room, instantly putting Gustav's panicked nerves at ease._

_"Sorry," Gustav mumbled in response once he was calm enough to speak, avoiding giving his father eye contact._

_Wanting to move on from the awkward beginning to the conversation, Rufus scanned his son's room until the drawing beside him caught his attention._

_"What's that you've drawn my boy?" He asked, the enthusiasm in his question causing a small smile to appear on his son's lips._

_"This is my drawing of the robot butler that I'm going to build," Gustav happily informed, seconds before his smile faded away. "But I'm not sure what to call him," was his honest answer when Rufus caught sight of his son's abrupt look of shame._

_"Well, why don't we came up with a name together!" Rufus cheerfully suggested, earning himself a content nod of agreement._

_"How about the name Alfred?" Rufus started off but going to no avail when Gustav shook his head._

_"Reginald?" His father tried again, only receiving the same response._

_"Edwin?"_

_"Jeeves?"_

_"Percy?"_

_"Wilson?"_

_"Wilkins!" Gustav suddenly blurted out, making his father jump in the process._

_"Yes, that's it, I shall call him Wilkins! Gustav cried out with pure joy as he jumped into his father's arms, who happily caught him._

_Then, as if he and his father were on some kind of cue, their gazes promptly became fixed on each other. Both of them letting out wide grins as the same thought came zooming into their heads._

**_Let's build him._ **

* * *

 

"Sir?" Wilkins called as he bravely took a step closer towards his master, this being the only thing he could think of to do.

Eying up Wilkins latest move, the seconds then proceeded to copy him, in hope that whatever they did could somehow help move the situation along towards a positive outcome.

When all their master did in response was violently jerk at their increased distance towards him, Wilkins sent a cold glare towards the seconds who backed away with maximum terror.

"Papa!" Time fiercely exclaimed, his sudden yell for his father causing Wilkins who had now joined the seconds in backing away, to nearly physically jump out from their protective shells of metal.

"Idiot!" Wilkins scolded himself as he reflected on his cowardly actions. Then without even as much as a glance towards the seconds, Wilkins quickly advanced over to Time himself, making sure he was at the exact same distance before his mistake.

His error was soon hurled out from his mind when the sounds of leather being hit with a strong amount of force filled his mechanical ears. Looking up to see his master slamming his left hand onto the armrest, Wilkins was about to put his own hand over his masters to prevent him from possibly injuring himself, when Time flinched away, bringing his hand up towards him.

For a moment, it was as if Time himself had stopped when not even a twitch of his eye could be traced, as he stared blankly into the palm of his hand. His various metal rings and bangles decorating his gloved hand bulging out, as he squeezed his hand with a rather painful looking amount of pressure.

Peering closer into his master's fisted hand, a sudden vitally important question entered his head. One that could possibly provide the key to finding the long-awaited answer to this giant mess.

Where had all those hand accessories come from?

He knew for a fact that he had often seen his master build many complex machines from scratch, but never could he recall ever seeing him creating such fine pieces of hand jewelry.

"Papa…" Time repeated in a hoarse whisper, the strangled cry that followed moments afterwards had Wilkins rushing as close as he could possibly get to his master, who was now in certain deep peril.

Settling himself down beside Times leg, Wilkins could feel his mechanical heart slowly shattering inside him into tiny microscopic pieces. Allowing himself to take one last look at his master, the butler let out a small gasp as he silently watched his master's face crumple before him, just before a stray teardrop trickled down his cheek and onto the floor. The gentle sound of specks of water landing on the leather chair only making the harsh reality of the situation more heartbreaking.

This was to be his last chance to put things right.

Pray to God he didn't screw it up.

* * *

 

It _wasn't often he could call the classroom his salvation, but today was an exception._

_Being a brand new year meant a fresh start, and now at the age of eleven, Gustav could finally let his mind function outside of having to constantly worry about concealing his demonic powers._

_After a near miss disaster, involving Gustav losing one of his gloves and the teachers insistence that he come up and write the answer to a maths equation or get whipped, only to be saved by a miraculous recovery of the glove just seconds before his sacred secret was to be revealed, was quite an alarming experience he made sure he_ learnt _from._

_But now that teacher had left to teach a different class, it was obvious a new teacher would replace him, which for Gustav meant that his secret would once again remain hidden from the eyes of the public._

_Smiling to himself as he stood in line waiting to be allowed into the classroom, he carefully pulled out a piece of paper with the detailed drawing of Wilkins displayed on it. When he was certain no one was looking, Gustav leaned the paper against the wall as he made a few_ last minute _tweaks to the drawing, sticking his tongue out while still smiling as he did so._

_Once finished, Gustav folded the piece of paper back into his pocket, the profound memory of last night where he and his father had that had stayed up a majority of it creating the basic body replayed itself in his head. A shimmer of joy filling his mind and soul with elation at how time was for once, on his side._

_"Right class, inside at once!"_ Thier _new teacher instructed, startling Gustav from his train of thought._

_"No talking," the teacher commanded as Gustav silently made his way to his allocated seat._

_Once the lesson had officially begun, Gustav let out a sigh of relief. Everything he could imagine at this moment in time had all gone to plan, the teacher hadn't questioned his use of gloves like all his previous ones, each time having said that his gloves were to stop him from scratching his hands to avoid being thrown out of school. Now he didn't even have to_ worry _lying to this new teacher, he could now just get on with his life as he intended._

_It was all going so well…_

_Until he put his hand up to answer a question._

_Big mistake._

_"You boy," the teacher abruptly called out, pointing a threatening finger towards Gustav who straightened his posture in shock. "Take off the gloves, it's not winter."_

_Hesitating for a second as he struggled to get his mouth and brain to cooperate at this vitally important time, this only resulted in testing the teacher's limited patience._

_"Are you defying me boy? I said_ take _those gloves off!" The teacher aggressively demanded, already having taken out his whip if he failed to do what he was told._

 _"I - I c-can't s-_ s-s _-sir…" Gustav shakily attempted to save himself from being subjected to the brutal lashes of the whip._

_"Take. Off. The. gloves." The teacher snarled, whose face crimson with rage only mere inches away from touching Gustav's nose. Gulping back his intense rise of fear, Gustav only succeeded in letting out a pathetic squeaking noise, leading to the moment that was to determine his entire future._

_"Zieh die Handschuhe_ aus _!" Was the teacher's roar of fury, seconds before yanking off one of Gustav's gloves from his hand._

_"No!" Gustav cried. Then without as much as a second thought, he rapidly stood up on his desk and grabbed the teachers arm, preparing himself to risk any form of punishment for such an out of order deed._

_It was only within those seconds of managing to snatch the glove out from the teachers grasp, when the sudden realization of what monstrosity was to occur, hit him with maximum force._

_The teacher was about to lift up his whip to hit Gustav when the horribly familiar blue sparks flew from his hand, soon leading to the rusty brown metal remorselessly traveling up the teacher's arm._

_Unable to move due to the disturbing process of his metal curse engulfing the teachers now still form, all Gustav could do was listen to the high pitched shrieks from his fellow classmates as they ran around the room, desperate to protect themselves against the evil that stood in the room with them._

_He didn't have to be subjected to the horror that occurred for a minute longer when the teacher from the class next door barged into the room, who before could ask anything Gustav took it as his opportunity to make his quick escape._

_"You're a monster!" one of the girls screeched as Gustav hurtled out the classroom._

_With the only thought currently racing through his mind to keep running, Gustav barely felt his feet pounding against the ground as he sprinted through the corridors. Dodging various teachers trying to chase after him, and avoiding the looks of the other children, keen but also anxious to find out what was going on._

_It had taken him a full five minutes worth of running to realize he was now in the middle of the busy streets that would lead to his village. After spending a couple of minutes gasping and panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath within the_ centre _of people tooing and throwing with various bits and pieces, Gustav then moved onto frantically fumbling with the glove that had been yanked from his hand clumsily back on, his tolerance for his inability to put it on becoming thinner with each attempt._

_"Gustav?" A male voice suddenly questioned from within the distance had him on his toes. However, just when he was about to make a run for it, the voice who had recognized him earlier turned out to be his father._

_"Gustav, what are you doing son?" His father asked, running up to his son with worry evident in his voice._

_"No, no, get away from me, no!" Gustav yelled, helpless to the tears beginning to pour out from his eyes, all while refusing to give his father eye contact as he once again attempted to put his glove back on._

_"Son look_ don't _worry, let's go back home and sort this out. It's okay my boy, you'll be fine."_

_"No it won't be fine, please get off me, get off me!" By this time Gustav struggled to speak coherently, which lead to them both making a crucial mistake that no one could predict the cost of._

_"Gustav my boy, please calm down, come here," Were to be the last actions Rufus was to take when leaning in to give Gustav a reassuring hug, unfortunately, just as that happened so did Gustav's powerful push to his father's chest with his non-glove covered hand._

_Violently tumbling_ backwards _into a crate of food due to the impact of Gustav's push, it wasn't until Rufus was halfway into getting himself up when an odd sensation of hardening skin began to overcome him. Seconds later he found himself groaning in agony as the ferocious metal rapidly grew to invade his entire body, for all to see._

_Everyone witnessing the shocking events unfolds right in front of them were torn between casting petrified stares towards Rufus, and shooting cold hard glares towards Gustav as the last of the horrific metal statue like transformation took place with no chance of returning._

_"Papa!" Gustav wailed as soon as he could bring himself to look at what jeopardy he had caused. Rushing towards his father's lifeless metal form, Gustav attempted to wrap his arms around him in a neverending sorrowful hug, only to be dragged away by bigger men much stronger than him._

_"No, let me go, I have to say goodbye to him, please, it's all my fault!" Gustav sobbed while being held in one of the men's firm grip, tightening every time he wriggled to get away._

_Exhaling a shaky breath as his sobs began to falter for a split second, he was soon subjected to another fit of uncontrollable crying when the last thing he wished to happen came galloping along._

_"Rufus!" A familiar shrill yell echoed around the village, the sounds of his mother's high heels frantically running towards his father, accompanied by no other than Norman Skinner who wore a facial expression of false dread and formidable delight._

_Having no choice but to remorsefully watch his mother kneel down beside her metal husband, her eyes bubbling with fury filled tears, waiting to be shed. Evonna after taking a minute or so to absorb what had happened directed her terrifying loathing gaze towards Gustav who gulped in response._

_Then without as much as a choked out whisper of hatred, his mother cast her gaze onto Norman who stood with a seemingly apologetic look towards her._

_"Do what you must," Evonna began in a barely audible voice, though she didn't have to say another word for Gustav to know what was to come next._

_"Do what I should have had you do years ago, amputate his hands!"_

_With that Norman then turned his head to face the eleven-year-old with a haughty facial expression, Gustav knew what he must do._

_Shoving the man who had held him within his arms up until now with his uncovered hand, Gustav was then able to make a quick getaway from the clutches of the deranged surgeon long enough to temporally force Norman into a game of chase._

_Gustav had managed to run despite the surgeons rather quick speed, and his shortness of breath all the way up to the well, where he and Norman were then faced to face with each other, with only the actual well standing in between them._

_"We can do this the easy way or hard way boy," Norman Skinner informed with a sly grin, his voice dripping with desire as he prepared himself to make the winning move._

_"How about no way!" Gustav retorted, dashing out in front of him to get a clear shot of a limb he was most likely able to reach. Then within a matter of seconds, Norman found himself destined to become yet another human trapped within a solid shell of metal, as Gustav gave him a smack on the arm before escaping._

_Turns out what he'd learned from playing tag as a toddler had paid off._

_Now going ahead with the decision to run until he collapsed due to extreme exhaustion, the eleven-year-old charged through the remainder of the street. His alert brown eyes widening to the size of saucers when hearing his mother's frantic screaming of his name within the fair distance, her shouting becoming fainter the more he ran._

_"GUSTAV!"_

_"Gustav!"_

_"Gustav…"_

_Once having collapsed from pure and utter exhaustion in the middle of a forest he'd never come across before, the still very much worn out eleven_ year _old slowly began to pick himself up and wandered around the area, in search of somewhere to provide him with shelter for the night._

_Though as he walked he did notice a slight difficulty in lifting up his left hand, at first his official thought was that it was just stiff from where he had been previously laying. However, by the time nightfall came, his hand had become slightly stiffer and more of a challenge to move._

_Having found he was unable to sleep due to the discomfort in his hand, Gustav in a mixture of curiosity and fright began to softly peel the glove covering his left hand which he had done during the run, off from his hand, to find something truly gobsmacking._

_"Ach_ nein _!" Gustav murmured when the sight of half of his hand being invaded by the same metal curse that had claimed his father, was now happening right now to him._

_Sighing miserably to himself at the very thought of his father, with his other hand Gustav took out the drawing he'd happily been working on earlier that very morning. His soft brown eyes glazed with a glassy layer of tears, as the now painful memories of all the times he and his father had spent together all gathered around to torment him._

_Smacking away the few teardrops that managed to slip away from his eyelids and onto the drawing, Gustav had been about to neatly fold the drawing back into his pocket when a mighty gust of wind swept it clean out of his hands and into the air._

_"Hey!" He exclaimed as he got up onto his feet and began to chase his beloved drawing._

_Despite the increasing stiffness that had now progressed onto his left leg, causing him to hobble slightly, this didn't prevent the eleven-year-old from maintaining his ability to stay a fair distance between himself and the drawing still gliding through the air._

_But just as he thought his chance to grab the drawing was only a snatch away, another lethal gust of wind swiped his hopes of ever retrieving it as the piece of paper was tossed to the right, before disappearing completely._

_"Great," Gustav spat, stomping his non-affected foot on the ground in frustration._

_Seeing no other option but to continue regardless of the fact he had no clue where he was, Gustav began to take a step forwards, only to be stopped in his tracks when a faint ticking noise came to his attention._

_"A clock?" He whispered to himself as the volume of the ticking noise increased._

_Moving towards the nearest tree, the eleven-year-old shifted himself so he could from behind the tree undetected, to discover his drawing stuck to the back of a white rabbit's blue waistcoat, holding a pocket watch while pressing its ear against it._

_"Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late," Gustav heard the rabbit mutter to itself._

_"Too late for what?" He then wondered out loud, seconds later clamping a hand over his mouth, hoping the rabbit hadn't realized it was being watched. Unfortunately, as soon as he had spoken aloud, the rabbit shot off._

_"Stop, come back with my drawing!" Gustav yelled as he made his way to run after the rabbit. After having run a few steps he was in for a major shock as he suddenly lost his footing, resulting in him tripping and falling into a rabbit hole._

_Feeling himself plummeting_ backwards _into the rabbit hole, Gustav screamed at the top of his lungs, seemingly unable to stop himself despite knowing he wasn't going to land anytime soon. Deciding to focus his attention beneath him instead of wearing out his vocal chords, his eyes trailed the number of objects flying around him, occasionally being hit by a piece of furniture._

_When he was finally fortunate enough to spot a glimpse of the ground, Gustav almost smiled before he was to have a bed break his fall, from which he bounced off of and onto the ground below him._

_Or what he thought was the ground._

_Yet another surprise came leaping from around the corner when Gustav realized that what he was holding onto was, in fact, the ceiling. Yelping in terror as he was thrust to the actual ground with a heavy thud, the frightened eleven-year-old groaned in pain while holding his head._

_So all this time he had fallen upwards? Impossible, he thought to himself._

_Then again, so was his life._

* * *

 

Having resorted to sitting in silence as he watched his master stare off into the distance, Wilkins shared glances between Time and the seconds, who had gathered in between the leather chair and Wilkins himself. All sharing the same thought.

They had failed him.

Their chance to save him gone, and what made it worse was they were to blame.

Letting out a world heavy sigh, Wilkins in his state of despair closed his eyes and leaned back on the side of the leather chair. But what he didn't bargain from such a simple movement such as this was his master suddenly snapping back to reality, leaving the group of perplexed seconds and a flabbergasted Wilkins speech or in the miniature gang's case, tickless.

"Wilkins?" Time questioned, his voice raspy but with a hint of genuine wonder to his thick German accent.

"Sir!" The mechanical butler happily announced with a smile mostly made up of intense shock, as he leaped from where he'd been drowning in his sorrows less than a minute ago.

Grunting, Time shifted himself to a sitting up position, all while giving his faithful butler poignant looks.

"Have you been here all this time?" Was the second question directed towards an anxious-looking Wilkins who began to cower like a frightened child about to be told off.

"Y-yes, sir."

Time hummed in thought.

"S-should I leave you, sir?" Wilkins asked timidly, his entire body shaking with fear as he spoke with caution.

For a moment, Time didn't respond. Taking his silence as a yes, Wilkins let out a sigh of defeat as he began to make his way out of the room, only for a soft plea to stop him dead in his tracks.

"Stay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking ages to update, I hope this chapter makes up for it.

**Author's Note:**

> For those who are confused over the Gustav bit, Gustav is the name given to Time as this story will be focused on how I think Time was fully human before becoming Time itself to create underland, similar to Obviouslyelementries story but with how I think it happened.
> 
> Also for those not familiar with German, here is what each German word is and its meaning.
> 
> Die zauberei- Another word for witchcraft or magicians.
> 
> Pfui- Ugh
> 
> Erstaunen- wow!
> 
> I apologize if my German is wrong as I'm not familiar with it.
> 
> So, without anything more to say that, for now, is it, thank you for reading :)


End file.
